Our Stories

In Ethiopia, Dr. Bethel and Smile Train are changing the narrative around malnutrition.

Even knowing help is available isn’t always enough to remove the stigma of having a cleft.

He didn’t speak until he was 18. Now, people flock to hear him talk.

A mother’s first-person account.

A boy from India is starving and his parents don't know what to do.

Saraswati's parents tried everything to feed their baby, but no matter what they tried, the milk still spilled out her cleft. She constantly screamed with hunger, and they didn't know how she'd make it. Then a friend told them about Smile Train.

Kamlesh learned to live with his cleft. His three children could not.

Everyone told Gyana to abandon her daughter when she was born with a cleft; her husband threatened to kill himself if she didn't. Afraid for both their lives, she took the child and fled. 

After a rough beginning, Jenious' life is now filled with puppies, music, and kung-fu.

A decade after her Oscar® win, Pinki's story continues to shine the spotlight on the importance of cleft care in India.